Stuck in the middle with you
by hayj
Summary: He smirked as she squirmed against his thigh. His lips find her ear again causing her eyelids to flutter shut. "As much as I like being stuck in the middle with you," he murmured reaching around to grip her ass pushing her down harder against his thigh, "this is not your best idea."
1. Chapter 1

**Stuck in the middle with you**

 **Chapter 1:**

 **Stuck in the middle with you**

"Charlie, Bass, get in that cabin now!" Miles barked as Charlie slid off the horse and onto the snow packed ground. "Get a fire started." he instructed Bass, holding out his hands for the horses reins.

"I went through the same frostbite training as you did, remember?" Bass snapped back handing over the reins before bending down to scoop a frozen Charlie up off the ground, hauling her into the cabin they'd stumbled across.

 _On their way back to Willoughby they'd run smack into the middle of a snowstorm. In the near blinding sleet and snow, Charlie, nor her horse, had seen the embankment they had gone tumbling over. Battered and soaked to the bone, Charlie had fared better than the horse that had to be put down._

 _Reaching her first, Bass had pulled her up in front of him, tucking as much of his coat around her as he could, shoving her hands in his armpits as Miles put the horse down and took the lead. They needed shelter and they needed it now. She had bitched at first, but the further they went the less she talked, her teeth chattering next to his ear as she plastered herself against him, seeking his warmth. It was when the chattering had stopped that he became frightened._

Propping Charlie up next to the door, he did a quick sweep of the small, two-room cabin. Other than covered in dust it appeared to be untouched.

He was adding wood to the fledgling fire when Miles and Rachel came stomping through the door.

"Jesus, Miles, I think her lips are turning blue," Rachel said squatting down in front of Charlie where she had slid to the floor beside the fireplace.

"Is that couch a sleeper?" Bass asked his teeth chattering as he turned away from the fireplace.

"Bingo!" Miles called out as he tossed aside cushions.

Rachel disappeared, on the hunt for blankets, as Miles and Bass maneuvered the couch in front of the fireplace and worked on getting it opened.

Taking the blankets and quilts that Rachel returned with, Bass spread a blanket on the musty, thin, mattress while Rachel went to get more.

"Get the two of you undressed and in that bed, Bass." Miles said stripping out of his own shirt, before pulling off his boots and pushing his pants to the floor.

"Rachel, help him," Miles instructed when Rachel returned, her arms full of more blankets. She dropped them off at the end of the bed and hurried towards her daughter.

Miles continued feeding logs to the fire while piling more blankets onto bed and spreading their wet clothing out to dry.

Bass pulled Charlie to her feet and with Rachel's help began to peel her clothing off one garment at a time.

Bending down, he pulled her boots and socks off before reaching up to unfasten her jeans and tug them down her legs, the wet fabric making things difficult. He handed everything to Rachel, who after laying them out to dry, stripped down to her own undershirt and panties waiting on him to carry Charlie over.

Removing her last two items of clothing, Bass picked her up and carried her to the bed watching as Rachel crawled in beside her daughter pressing her front to Charlie's back.

Stripping, he spread his own clothing out before crawling in the bed as close to Charlie as he could get.

Tucking her hands against him and entwining their legs together, he pulled her head towards his chest as Rachel scooted closer as well, rubbing her hands up and down Charlie's arms as Miles spooned up behind Bass with a sigh.

"Not one word," Miles growled.

"I'm too damn cold to be worried about your junk shoved up my ass," Bass replied as Rachel lifted her head to look at the two.

"Worried I'm going to steal your boyfriend, Rachel?" Bass asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hardly," Rachel snapped with a roll of her eyes, lying back down next to her daughter.

Miles scooted closer so that he could reach over to feel Charlie's skin. "What do you think, Bass?"

"I can feel her starting to shiver a bit so that's good. Means her temperature is going back up."

Miles let out a relieved sigh. "Everybody just try to get some sleep."

* * *

Waking to the familiar nasal symphony of her mother and Miles, Charlie shifted to get more comfortable. She knew that Rachel was behind her, but in front of her was something hard and male.

Opening her eyes, she let out a sigh of relief as she came face to face with Bass.

"Expecting someone else?" he whispered in her ear.

She grinned as her hand traveled from underneath his arm, down his flank to wrap around his impressive morning erection. "Just thankful this doesn't belong to Miles," she replied trading places with his lips as her hand stroked up only to be grabbed by his own with a hissed "Charlie," as she looked up at him innocently.

His eyes narrowed and she felt his growl against her breasts that brushed across his smooth skin, her nipples tightening at the vibration and her core flooding against his thigh tucked between her legs.

He smirked as she squirmed seeking friction, his lips findind her ear again causing her eyelids to flutter shut. "As much as I like being stuck in the middle with you," he murmured reaching around to grip her ass pushing her down harder against his thigh, "this is not your best idea."

Letting go of his cock, she tugged his hand up to her breast, wrapping her own hand around his neck, trading places with his mouth once again.

"I guess I'll just have to take a rain check then," she replied in a breathy whisper sucking his earlobe into her mouth.

He retaliated by tweaking her nipple, causing her to moan and Rachel to stir.

They both feigned sleep as she stirred and could feel the moment her eyes landed on their compromising position.

They felt the mattress dip and rise and adjusted their positions as if they were still asleep.

They listened as she woke Miles, so going on the defense Charlie rubbed an eye with her finger before opening them.

"Mom?"

"Charlie? How do you feel?" Rachel asked as she dressed.

"I think I'm fine," she answered looking down at Bass' head still propped on her shoulder.

"Bass," she said poking his exposed shoulder.

"Warm," he grumbled his voice still rough with sleep, burrowing into her shoulder with a wink.

Charlie snorted.

"Get up and quit fondling my niece, dickhead." Miles said with a kick to his leg.

"Aww, Miles," Charlie said as she reached out to brush Bass' curls, "he just wants to cuddle. If you weren't such a grouch in the morning's maybe he'd want to cuddle with you, too."

She watched as Miles turn an interesting shade of red, either from anger or embarrassment she wasn't sure, as Rachel looked up from her pack with a snort.

"I can hear you, you know," Bass said looking up at her with a frown.

"Just get dressed. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but Charlie, have Bass take a good look at your fingers and toes to make sure you don't have frostbite." Miles said pulling his clothes on.

Rachel handed Charlie her now dry clothes before following Miles outside to help with the horses.

Flopping back down, Charlie held out a hand.

Taking her hand in his, Bass ran his palm over it, kissing every single finger as he inspected it. Moving on to her toes, he made sure to tickle her feet in the process.

* * *

She was just pulling on her pants when Miles and Rachel returned.

"You're not dressed yet?" Miles asked looking between the two.

"Sorry, Miles," Charlie replied slipping her shirt over her head. "I saw a spot on my foot and freaked out."

"Couldn't see anything the way she was waving it around in my face," Bass chimed in with a pissy tone.

"Well?" Rachel asked stepping up to lay her hand on Charlie's arm. "Is she okay? Is there any permanent damage?"

"Doesn't appear to be, but it wouldn't hurt to have Gene take a look when we get back."

"Speaking of getting back, let's get moving. I don't want to spend another night on the road if we don't have too. You riding with me, Kid?" Miles asked gathering his things.

"I don't mind riding with Bass," Charlie answered slipping on her pack, missing the look between Rachel and Miles as Bass tightened a strap for her.

"What the hell is going on?" Miles asked as the two of them turned towards the door, Charlie reaching out to fix Bass' sleeve.

"Huh? What?" They both replied at the same time turning to look at him and Rachel.

"This," Miles says wagging a finger between them. "What is this?"

Charlie and Bass looked at each other, before turning back to Miles.

"Miles, Bass and I have traveled together just as much as you and I have. Is it so inconceivable that we work well together?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, she thinks she's almost as good as you and me." Bass added earning an elbow to the ribs along with a muttered "asshole" and eye-roll from Charlie.

* * *

As Charlie held the horse she and Bass would be riding, Bass mounted and reached down, holding his hand out to Charlie. She grabbed on and using the empty stirrup, swung up on the horse behind him with a practiced ease.

"You leading or following?" Bass asked Miles with a blank face.

"I'll lead." Miles answered kicking his horse into a trot.

Rachel gave her daughter a weighty stare before following.

"What was that all about?" Charlie asked as she slid her hands under Bass' shirt, holding on to bare skin.

"He's worried that the Big Bad Wolf is going to ravage Little Miss Matheson on the way to Grandpa's house."

With a chuckle she asked, "Should I practice saying 'Oh my, what a big...'"

That was all she managed to get out before Bass squeezed her knee in a particularly sensitive spot he had found that morning causing her to squeal.

Miles and Rachel's heads swung around to look back at them.

"Sorry!" she called out, "I wasn't holding on tight enough."

Making a show of wrapping her arms around Bass' waist, Rachel's mouth flattened out into a sharp line and Miles frowned before turning his attention back to their path.

"You're the devil in disguise, is what you are." Bass said over his shoulder.

"Nah, more like a witch. Maybe if you're lucky I'll show you my broom-riding techniques," she replied with a smirk.

Looking over his shoulder at her with a raised eyebrow, he urged the horse to catch up with Miles and Rachel.


	2. Chapter 2

**"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, (Here I am,)"**

Arriving back in Willoughby, they headed straight for Genes.

Rachel hustled Charlie to the house calling for her Dad, leaving Bass and Miles to put away the horses in silence.

Charlie dutifully sat on her Grandpa's exam table as he pulled, and poked at her hands and feet, as Rachel hovered, before he pronounced her fine. Rachel sighed in relief as Charlie began to tug her socks and boots back on.

"Where are you going?" Rachel asked watching as Charlie pushed off the table.

"I'm going home." Charlie replied dragging her jacket over her shoulders.

"Why don't you stay here? Just for the night? Your grandpa's already got dinner ready and the house is warm."

"Mom, I'll be fine." Charlie sighed, tired of this constant argument. "My house is small enough that it won't take long to heat up and I bet Grandpa would make me a plate to go," she said making at eyes at Gene.

He shook his head with a chuckle, heading to the kitchen.

"Are you sure?" Rachel tried again.

"Mom, I want to take a bath and put on my pajamas and sleep in my bed. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Charlie replied giving Rachel a hug goodbye before packing her backpack with the thermos and wrapped meat that Gene handed her, "I packed enough for Bass, too."

Charlie kissed his cheek as she headed towards the door. "Thanks, Grandpa. Love you."

"Love you too, Charlie."

"Whoa! Were you headed?" Miles ask as they ran into each other on the porch.

"Geesh! What is it with everybody? I'm going home to sleep in my own goddamn bed." She snapped.

Miles held his hand up in surrender "Okay, okay! I'll see you later then."

* * *

It started raining when she was halfway home causing her to shake her fist at the sky. She had been either wet or cold this entire trip and enough was enough.

She stalked up her porch steps and through the front door. "Oh thank God, a fire," she sighed as she dripped on the tile in the entry way.

"Damn it, Charlie!" Bass grouched stomping towards her taking her pack, setting it aside, before he began to help her out of her wet clothes. "Are you trying to die of exposure or do you enjoy looking like a drowned cat?"

"It's not my fault it decided to start raining. And how did you know I'd even come home tonight?" she asked holding onto his shoulder as he tugged her boots off.

"How long have we been living and working together? Nothing short of rabid dogs was keeping you at the Stepford house tonight."

She frowned, not knowing what that meant but knowing by his tone that it wasn't nice.

"I started a fire and filled the buckets to heat."

Charlie groaned at the thought of a warm bath. "Oh, thank you."

When he had her down to her undergarments, he shooed her to her room to get a change of clothes and started adding buckets of hot water to the cold water that was already in the bathtub. They'd done this enough times that he knew she'd hurry so that he could have a warm bath as well.

"Grandpa sent some dinner home. It's in my pack." She said sliding into the small bathroom with him. He sat a half full bucket within reach of the tub and left her to it, grabbing her pack on the way to the kitchen.

Digging through her crap, he finally found the thermos of soup and wrapped venison.

Coming back to Willoughby after the war they had all piled into Genes house as they got their bearings and Blanchard had put Bass and Charlie to work doing odd jobs while helping Miles oversee the Rangers stationed in the nearby towns. It had only taken a few weeks of being under the same roof as Rachel and Miles for he and Charlie to decide that was not someplace they wanted to be.

They had went together to look at places to rent in the area. There were no available apartments and the houses that were available were either too expensive or too big for just one person. Bass had finally suggested they rent a place together. They could split the rent and they were already living together on the road or at Gene's.

From the look on Charlie's face he thought for sure she was going to shoot him down, but had instead surprised the shit out of him when she said, "I think that's the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say, Monroe. It's scary as hell, but incredibly accurate."

They had settled on this two-bedroom bungalow in town, a few blocks away from city hall. It was on the small side but large enough for their needs.

He thought Rachel was going to have an aneurysm when she heard the news, but Miles had just shrugged. "Just think Rachel. He'll keep her stupid to a minimum and I won't have to babysit him."

"Oh, Nice, Miles. Dickhead." She and Bass had responded at the same time with matching frowns causing Miles to frown in return at their synchronicity.

A year later, they were still roommates.

He had just finished making sandwiches and was keeping the soup hot on the back of the stove when he heard her call out from the hall. "Bath's all yours, Bass."

He listened to her feet pad softly down the hall to her room, the door shutting behind her. Grabbing a towel from their shared linen cabinet, he headed towards the bathroom.

Charlie emerged from her room dressed in her favorite pajamas which consisted of one of Miles threadbare t-shirts and a pair of old gym shorts with the word 'juicy' sewn on the ass. The first time she had worn them around Bass, she had dared him with her eyes to say something about them.

He had wisely kept his mouth shut and appreciated the view.

Making her way to the kitchen she took her share of dinner and sat at the table to eat, thinking about last night and this morning. She knew it had been instinct on his part to haul her up in front of him, trying to keep her warm while they sought shelter. It certainly wasn't the first time either of them had been in a life or death situation.

But yesterday something had changed. When she had woke and felt his erection against her belly it had nearly taken her breath away. When she had opened her eyes and looked into his it had.

His eyes were unguarded in the early morning light as he watched her, his hand gently stroking her back as they lay tangled up in each other, her mother and uncle in the same bed.

It was that look that made her bold enough to skim her hand down and wrap her fingers around him. When he growled in response, her body had taken on a life of its own until the only thing she could think of was having him buried deep inside of her.

Bass walked in the kitchen to discover Charlie holding her sandwich staring into space.

He called her name twice with no response.

"Charlotte," he said raising his voice and snapping his fingers in front of her face.

She jumped, banging her knee on the underside of the table. "Damn it, Bass!"

"That was the third time I called your name." He replied calmly pouring the rest of the soup into a bowl before joining her at the table.

"Oh, sorry. Is everything okay?"

"You tell me. What did Gene have to say?"

"I'm fine." she answered before finally taking a bit of her sandwich.

They ate their dinner in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

When they finished, Bass offered to clean up while Charlie tended to the stove and fireplace.

She was turning down her bed when she heard his footsteps coming down the hall. Her back was to the door when he popped his head in her room.

"Night, Charlie."

She listened as he began to move away before finding her voice. "Hey, Bass?" She called out.

He shuffled back to door, "Yeah?"

She took a deep breath, turning her head to the side so that she could see him out of the corner of her eye. "Don't forget you owe me a rain-check."

She turned back to the bed as he came into her room, the light from his lamp temporarily brightening the room before he doused the wick setting the lamp down on the small dresser against the wall.

She felt the warmth from his body as he stood right behind her. "You sure about that, Charlie? We can just chalk it up to a weird morning and forget it ever happened."

"Why would I want to forget that you saved my life?" she asked.

"You want to cash in a rain-check because I saved your life?" he asked his voice low and harsh.

Charlie sighed. "You know what? Let's just forget everything."

"No!" Bass said spinning her around to face him. "You started this, so let's finish it."

Charlie wrenched her arm away from him. "It's not just because you saved my life, it's because you always save my life! You're the one who's always there making sure that I've ate and that I'm warm. You sit up with me when the nightmares won't let me sleep. You've stitched me up more times than even Grandpa, and when the whole world is crumbling around my ears, you're the one who always comes back!" she finished with a half sob.

A stunned Bass looked back at her.

"And how do you feel about that?" he asked quietly.

Charlie laughed at the sheer absurdity of the question. "How do I feel about it? I feel pretty fucking good about it, Bass. So good in fact that the only thing I could think of this morning was having you buried inside of me!"

Breathing heavily they both stood staring at each other letting that information soak in.

"Just go," Charlie said turning her back to him as she closed her eyes trying to regain her composure.

Her startled gasp filled the room when his hands cupped her shoulders, gently squeezing. His breath was warm on her skin as he brushed her hair to one side, his fingers lightly tracing her neck from shoulder to jaw. He came even closer, pressing his body against hers, wrapping an arm around her waist as he used his lips this time instead of his fingers.

Momentarily sliding both hands against the warmth of her belly, Bass gathered the hem of her t-shirt dragging it up over her head and tossing it to the floor. He pressed a hand firmly against her when she attempted to turn in his arms.

"Shhh," he whispered in her ear pulling her tight as he cupped a breast teasing the nipple while his mouth found the tender spot at the junction of her shoulder and neck causing Charlie to whimper.

The sound went straight to Bass' dick. He thumbed the waistband of her shorts and she shimmied out of them, brushing back and forth against his crotch. He skimmed his hands over her hips as she twisted in his arms. "Get in bed."

"But Bass."

"Charlotte, get in bed."

He watched as she crawled to the center of the bed, propping herself up on an elbow to watch him as he removed his jeans.

Pushing her flat on the bed, Bass hovered over her as he carded his fingers through her hair, before moving on to outline the shell of her ear.

"Do you know how beautiful you are, Charlie?"

When she shook her head no he slid down the bed till they were face to face, his lips inches from hers. "Well, then it's a good thing I plan on telling you every day from now on, isn't it?" he asked before cupping her cheek to kiss her. Their legs tangled together as his erection pressed against her belly.

They broke apart, both gasping for air, resting their foreheads together. Their hands begin an exploration of the others bodies, touching, kissing and caressing till Charlie was sure she was going to implode from sheer sensation and she's convinced she has died and went heaven when he presses his mouth against her pussy.

When she shatters around his fingers, he tells her again how beautiful she, how good she tastes and how he'll pleasure her every single day if she'll let him.

Making his way up her body, keeping his weight on his forearms, he kisses her. She moans at the taste of herself on his tongue and feels his cock twitching in anticipation between them. Reaching down she takes him in hand slowly stroking his length, their breath mingling and lips brushing against each other in anticipation.

She guides him to her center hooking her heels around his thighs urging him on, gasping when he surges forward.

Fully sheathed inside her, Bass holds still waiting for her to open her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Better than alright," she pants rolling her hips.

Smiling, Bass rolls them over so that she's on top. "You're in charge. Show me what you got," he says palming her breasts.

Biting her bottom lip as she grins, Charlie places a hand on the center of his chest to balance herself as she finds her rhythm. Bass's hands move from her hips to her breasts and everywhere between, occasionally pulling her down for a kiss or to suckle a nipple while she grinds her clit against his pubic bone. He pulls her in tight when he feels her walls begin to tighten around him and bites the spot he discovered earlier causing her to nearly jump out of his arms as she muffled her screams against his neck.

Rolling her back over, he hitches her leg over his elbow and it's not long before he feels that familiar pull deep in his gut and his balls start to tingle and tighten up.

"Oh, God, Charlie!" he pants as he pulls out at the last second emptying himself against her already soaked curls. Collapsing to the side of her, he pulls her sated body towards him with a chuckle as she curls up against his chest like a contented kitten while he strokes her hair.

"What about Miles?" Charlie finally asks as she caresses a bullet scar with her thumb.

Bass frowns looking down at her. "What do you mean?"

"Is this going to change things between you?"

"Charlie, look at me." Bass says gripping her chin between his thumb and forefinger, meeting her gaze with his own.

"I may have come for Miles, but I stayed for you."

Charlie's face glows with happiness as he kisses her again, tucking her in beside him, his shoulder her pillow as she drifts to sleep.

~fin~


End file.
